Springing means for vehicles



March 22, 1938.

F. PORSCHE SPRINGING MEANS FOR VEHICLES 2 sheets-rsheet 1 Filed Jung 3, 1936 keel 19/1! M/enar A '30; m

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March 22, 1938. F. PORSCHE SI RINGING MEANS FOR VEHICLES 2 Sheet S-She et' 2 Filed June 3, 1936 A m y .M w 7 Patented Mar. 22, 1938 PATIENT OFFICE.

. 2,112,112 SPRINGING MEANS FOR VEHICLES Ferdinand Porsche, Stuttgart, Germany Application June 3, 1936, Serial No.

In Germany October 19, 1934 Claims.

This invention relates to springing means for vehicles, and more particularly to springing means for vehicles having a plurality of substantially parallel half-axles lined one behind the other. Y

' An object of this invention is the provision of improved springing means for poly-axled vehicles.

Another object of this invention is to provide adequate springing for vehicles having a plurality of axles by means of a single spring.-

A further object of this invention is the provision of a single spring for a plurality of vehicle wheel axles which will provide effective independent springing for each axle.

"A still further object of this invention is the provision of progressive springing of a plurality of vehicle axles by means of a single spring, whereby a proportionality between the load and the severity of the springing can be maintained.

, I may attaintheseand other objects as hereinafter outlined by various constructions shown by way of example in the annexed drawings, wherein:

25 Fig. 1 is a side arrangement;

Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan View;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines III-III in Fig. 1;

elevation of the general axle Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a second form of the invention;

Fig. 6 is the corresponding plan view; Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view along thelines VII- VII of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 8 is a reduced diagrammatic view of the modified axle arrangement.

Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive are illustrative of a first form which the axle and springing arrangement may take. As therein shown two half axles I, I lying one behind the other are swung from the vehicle frame about points M and M, being the centers of movement of joints within the respective axle housings 3, 3'. Said housing are closed by covers such as 2, 2', A connecting link or bar 4 is connected to the axle I by pivot and bearing means 5 and I, comprising a spherical joint, and is connected to the axle I by con- 0 necting head '6. Connecting head 6 includes an opening I0 through which a reduced portion 8 of the bar 4 is inserted and preferably supported therein by a resilient bearing sleeve-9. Means such as nuts II are attached to the extreme end 55 of the reduced portion 8 and act to hold the bar Fig. 4 isa reduced diagrammatic view of the. axle arrangement. in a somewhat different form';''

to the connecting head 6. The resilient means 9 is preferably but not necessarily made of rubber. At approximately the center of the bar 4,

midway between the half axles I, I, is placed a socket l2 adapted to receive the spherical end I3 of a strut I5 whose opposite spherical end I4 fits in a corresponding bearing socket I8 of an arm I1. Rotary spring means shown as a torsion bar I6 extends lengthwise generally parallel to the frame member I9 and is adjustably connected thereto at one end by any suitable means (not shown). The other end of the torsion bar is journaled in a bracket member attached to the frame member I9 and provided with hearing member 2|, 2|. The bar I6 is firmly connected to spring arm II. A strut 22 is firmly fastened to the half axle If preferably at a point near the connecting head 6 and at its other end 24 is pivotally connected relative to the frame as to the bracket member 20 by means of a pivot 25. The bearing 25 may be lined with rubber so as to form a resilient joint. v

Through the above outlined. means the half axle I' will be swung about a theoretical axis A which is determined by the point M and the pivot 25. If this axle swings upwardly in the direction R about the midpoint K of the joint 5, I the spring link M will turn in the direction R, thus increasing the tension of the spring rod I6.

The axle I is swingable relative to the frame about an approximately horizontal theoretical axis A which is determined by the point M and the point K. The connecting means 6, 8', 9, and I0 due to its resilience will form a universal joint corresponding to the spherical pivotal connection 5, I. If the half axle I swings upwardly, the coupling bar 4 will move in the direction R about the midpoint K as a pivot, and likewise the spring arm I 1 will turn in the direction R, thus increasing the tension of the spring rod I6. Since the resulting forces R and R do not act in the same direction, the strut I5 will move about its axis and will thus accommodate the spacial displacement of the bar 4 and the arm I1. 1

If only one axle is deflected the motion of the point K or K is about double that of the motion of the linkage points I3, I4. In the case of the common deflection of both half axles I, I' there are two possibilities: If both half axles I, I' are swung in the same direction, movement of the linkage points K, K will be accompanied by corresponding movement of the linkage points I3 and I4; if on the contrary, the two half axles I, I' swing in opposite directions no substantial 7o sessing good 2 movement of the linkage points l3 and I4 will take place as in this case freely about the points l3 and i4. In commonly springing both half axles l, I, it must be assumed that the bar 4 can slip axially in the flexible connection 8, It! so that the forward half .axle I need not react upon the rear half axle I. In this manner the reaction of one half axle upon the other is avoided and each will in effect be mdependently sprung. By appropriate positioning of the pivot 25 the theoretical axis ,of the half axle I may be made to pass through the point K as in Fig. 4. With this structure, reaction of the wheels one upon the other is still further reduced.

A second embodiment, shown in Figs. 5 to 8, inclusive operates basically in the same manner as the first construction but differs therefrom by some structural changes. In this modification the half axle I is not connected to the frame by a separate strut member like 22 in Fig. 2. On the other hand, the bar 4 which, as in the first modification, connects the two half axles L1 is connected to the frame. The means for connecting bar 4 to the frame are best shown in Fig. 7 in which a link 26 is joined to bracket 20 on the frame by means of pivot 33. The opposite end of link 26 has a spherical member 21 which cooperates with a spherical opening in bar 4, thereby providing a linkage connection. The link or strut I5 is in this modification connected at its lower end to the bar 4 at a point below its center. Its operation, however, is the same as that shown in Fig. 3. In place of the joining means 6, 8, 9, l0, and II for connecting the bar 4 to half axle I this modification proposes a simple rubber bearing connection 29 and 30. The operation of these elements is substantially the same. As shown in Fig. 8, the theoretical swinging axis of the half axles will both pass through a common point S.

In order to compensate for the braking reaction on the wheels, the brake bearing members 3| and 3! may be joined to the connecting bar 4 by suitable rods 32, 32'.

Both modifications illustrated provide for a progressive springing action, that is a springing action which will vary amount of load. This is best shown in Figs. 3 and 7 in which the angle B between the link I! and the strut I5 is a measure of the effective springing. It will be readily seen that as the load on the vehicle is varied, the position of these linkage members will vary and therefore the angle 3. The relationship of these links are such that a direct relationship between the amount of load and the intensity of the springing canbe maintained.

The terms frame or chassis as herein used are not to be understoodas limited to such devices when formed separate from the body or coach-work of the vehicle, but as including such devices when formed integral with said body or coach-work.

It will be seen therefor that two forms of construction have been disclosed which satisfy the objects stated above and which provide such a construction which is simple and compact, which provides high specific springing in a vehicle, including the ability to traverse rough terrain, posroadability, in which appreciable displacement of the axles due to brake reactions "'is avoided, in which progressive spring effectiveness is secured andin which a plurality of independently mounted wheels-are spring supported 5 by means of a single spring.

the bar 4 will tilt' in intensity with the pivotally.

' which said Many changes in the disclosed apparatus are possible. The spring used need not be a torsion bar but may be any type of rotary spring. The invention furthermore is not limited for use in conjunction with any particular type of swinging half axle or with any particular type of vehicle. The linkage means shown are merely illustrative of any suitable or similar means that may be used as will occur to those skilled in the art.

The invention is not intended to be limited to the'two forms shown, which are to be understood as illustrative only and not as limiting, as various changes in construction and arrangement may be made,"all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. In a springing means for vehicles having a frame, in combination, a pair of substantially parallelaxles having wheels mounted thereon, means for pivotally supporting said axles on said fr'ame,.a, bar pivotally connected to one axle and and resiliently connected to the other axledggzbearing member on said frame, spring meansfconnected at one end to said frame and at the other end in said bearing member and to said bar, and a rod connecting one of said axles to said bearing member, about a horizontal axis determined by its point of connection to the frame and the pivoted point of the other axle to said bar, and the other axle is sprung about a horizontal axis determined by its point of connection to the frame and the point of connection of the rod to the bearing member.

2. In a springing means for vehicles having a frame, in combination, a pair of substantially parallel axles having wheels mounted thereon, means for pivotally supporting said axles on said frame, a bar pivotally connected to each axle, a bearing member on said frame, spring means connected at one end to said frame and at the other end in said bearing member and to said bar, whereby each wheel is sprung about a horizontal axis determined by its point of connection to the frame and the point of connection of said spring means to said bar.

3. The combination according to claim 2 including means for pivotally connecting said bar to said bearing member.

4. The combination according to claim 2 including braking means on said axles and rods connecting said braking means to said bar, whereby the braking reaction of the wheels is equalized.

5. In a springing means for vehicles having a frame. in combination, a pair of substantially parallel axles having wheels mounted thereon, means for pivotally supporting said axles on said frame, a bar pivotally connected to each axle, spring means connected at one end to said frame and at the other end to an arm, and a link member connecting said arm to said bar, whereby said axles are progressively sprung relative to the frame, the amount of spring reaction depending upon the effective angle between the arm and the link member.

6. The combination according to claim in which said spring means is a torsion bar.

'1. The combination according to claim 1 in which said spring means is a torsion bar.-

8. The combination according to claim 2 in spring means is a torsion bar.

9. In a spring means for vehicles having a frame, in combination, a plurality of substantially parallel axles having wheels mounted thereon, means for supporting said axles to swing relative to said frame about substantially horizontal axes,

whereby one axle is sprung means including a bar for pivotally connecting on, means-at one end of each of said axles for said axles with one another, spring means, and pivotally supporting said axles each to swing an arm and cooperating ball and socket means for relative to said frame about a substantially hori- J'oining said spring means to said bar. zontal axis, means for pivotally connecting said 10. In a springing means for vehicles having a axles with one another; and torsion spring means 5 frame, in combination, a plurality of substanjoining said connecting means to said frame. tially parallel axles having wheels mounted there- FERDINAND PORSCHE. 

